The present invention generally relates to a construction in which a bus bar for miniature fuses is fixed to an electrical connection box and more particularly, to a construction in which the bus bar connected to the miniature fuses attached to the electrical connection box in parallel with each other at a short interval can be securely fixed to the electrical connection box.
Conventionally, automotive fuses have been employed as fuses which are mounted on an electrical connection box so as to be connected to a bus bar. The automotive fuses are large in size and are attached to the electrical connection box at a large interval.
In a known arrangement of FIG. 1, a bus bar 1 is accommodated in an electrical connection box (not shown) so as to be connected to an automotive fuse 3 and tabs 1b project from a base portion 1a of the bus bar 1 at an interval identical with that for mounting the automotive fuses 3 on the electrical connection box. Thus, each tab 1b and a terminal portion 3a of each automotive fuse 3 are connected to each other through a relay terminal 2.
The bus bar 1 to be connected to the automotive fuses 3 is required to be preliminarily accommodated and fixed in the electrical connection box. To this end, a locking hole 1c is formed, between the tabs 1b, on the base portion 1a so as to receive a locking claw (not shown) projecting from the electrical connection box such that the bus bar 1 is secured to the electrical connection box.
In response to recent demand for a more compact and lighter electrical connection box, miniature fuses obtained by making the automotive fuses more compact have been proposed in place of the automotive fuses. If the miniature fuses can be attached to the electrical connection box at a small interval, the electrical connection box can be made more compact.
However, in this case, the tabs connected to the miniature fuses also should be formed on the bus bar at a short interval. Thus, such problems arise that it is extremely difficult to form the locking hole on the base portion between the tabs spaced the short interval from each other and bring the locking claw of the electrical connection box into engagement with the locking hole of the bus bar.
Furthermore, conventionally, the miniature fuses are more likely to be heated than the large automotive fuses. Therefore, if the miniature fuses are attached to the electrical connection box in the vicinity of the tabs, the electrical connection box is readily overheated.